RAPHO TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A chemical fire in Rapho Township, Lancaster County, that forced evacuations in the area and severely injured one person on Tuesday is now out -- about 23 hours after it started.

The fire started around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday. It was finally extinguished around 9:30 a.m. Wednedsay, according to Mount Joy Assistant Fire Chief Bill Hall.

The fire started when a train car carrying 30,000 gallons of butane was transferring the highly flammable fuel to a transfer station near Maibach Lane and East Main Street in Rapho Township. John Wolgemuth, of Mount Joy, the worker who was trying to transfer the fuel, suffered severe injuries to his upper body in the fire. Wolgemuth was taken to the Lehigh Valley Burn Center.

Wolgemuth's brother said he was burned over 47 percent of his body. He is in an induced coma and may remain that way for two weeks. He is expected to be in the hospital for more than a month. A fund has been established for him at Union Community Bank.

Fire crews doused the area throughout the day Tuesday to keep other tankers cool and prevent them from exploding. Emergency officials at the scene, compared the situation to a lighter that would continue to burn fuel until it was depleted. Nine rail cars were exposed to the flames. Some of those cars contained butane. Others contained propane.

Cliff Bonham lives on Eby Chiques Road across from the site. He was inside when the fire started, but talked to some workers who watched it happen.

"They saw the flames and saw a guy burning," said Bonham.

About 150 firefighters from three counties responded. Experts from outside the area have also been called in to investigate the incident. Early indications pointed to a failed compressor as the cause of the blaze.

Due to the amount of runoff from fire hoses, officials initially recommended that residents in the area boil their water. However, after consulting with the Mount Joy Boro Water Authority, they say there is no need to do so. No boil water advisory is in effect.

The cleanup could take days, or even weeks.

Evacuations lifted

While officials said no formal evacuation order was in place, people along East Main Street between Eby Chiques Road to Cornerstone Drive did evacuate and were not allowed to return to their homes or businesses for most of the day. However, that is no longer the case. Residents can return home and workers can return to their places of work.

Lancaster County Hospice's Mount Joy location evacuated all patients, volunteers and staff on Tuesday. They were taken to Lancaster General Hospital. Family members can contact Hospice and Community Care for additional information at (717) 295-3900 or 1-800-924-7610.

All Amtrak traffic heading west from Lancaster to Harrisburg was postponed for most of the day, but has since been restored. The fire was not on the Amtrak line, but was close enough to merit concern. If you are an Amtrak rider and have any questions, you can call 1-800-USA-RAIL.